Randy Erben has been reappointed to the Texas Ethics Commission to fill the remainder of his current term set to expire on Nov. 19, 2025. Erben has served on the commission since December 2017 and is the current chair. He is currently an adjunct professor at Texas Law and of counsel with Erben & Yarbrough.
Michael Schattle passed away on Dec. 2, 2024. As an attorney, Schattle represented refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants for Church World Service.
Eleanor D’Ambrosio has been promoted to partner at Spencer Fane’s Austin office. D’Ambrosio specializes in utility-related regulatory and business matters, having served at the Public Utility Commission of Texas prior to joining Spencer Fane.
Feras Mousilli, a founding partner of Lloyd & Mousilli, has been named among the Top 50 U.S. Trademark Attorneys for 2024 by analytics firm Huski.ai’s AI-driven rankings. Mousilli previously served as senior corporate counsel for both Apple and Dell.
Michael Pearson, a partner at Jackson Walker, has been inducted into the 2025 Lawdragon Hall of Fame. Pearson chaired the firm’s energy practice group for over 30 years and currently serves as an adjunct professor at Texas Law.
Lawrence Mealer passed away Dec. 14, 2024. Mealer began his career at Dallas Legal Services and later served as a civil attorney in private practice for over 48 years.
Jillian Trezza has been named counsel at Debevoise & Plimpton in the firm’s Washington, D.C., office. Trezza is a member of the White Collar & Regulatory Defense Group, where she focuses on securities-related enforcement defense.
Kelli C. Fuqua has been elevated to shareholder in the Austin office of Littler, effective Jan. 1, 2025. Fugua regularly litigates discrimination, harassment, unfair competition and retaliation suits, with a focus on whistleblower matters and is well-versed in conducting workplace investigations and advising clients on workplace issues.
Melissa J. Ackie has been elevated to shareholder in the Austin office of Littler Mendelson P.C., effective Jan. 1, 2025. Ackie advises business owners, in-house counsel and human resources professionals on a broad range of HR and compliance workplace concerns, including leave and accommodation, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, terminations, and wage and hour issues.
Thomas Robert Felger passed away on Dec. 24, 2024. Felger pursued a legal career after completing 27 years of active duty and reserve service in the U.S. Navy, retiring as captain. From 1992 to 2009, Felger was a partner attorney with Baker Botts, where he worked with oil and gas companies along with technology and device companies.
Rob Walters has been appointed as independent director at Vistra, a leading Fortune 500 integrated retail electricity and power generation company based in Irving, Texas. Walters will serve on the Sustainability and Risk Committee and the Nominating and Governance Committee.
William Griffith Lawhon passed away on Dec. 22, 2024. Lawhon practiced law with the Butler & Binion law firm for 33 years, where he became partner in 1976, before practicing at Schlanger, Silver, Barg & Paine from 1999 to 2016. Lawhon also served in the United States Naval Reserves and the Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps for 14 years, and retired with the rank of Lieutenant Commander in 1982.
Aaron Reitz, who serves as the chief of staff for Senator Ted Cruz, was nominated by Donald Trump to serve as the head of the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Policy.
Barrett Robin, partner at Hamilton Wingo in Dallas, has earned his fourth consecutive selection on the Best Lawyers Under 40 list published by D Magazine for his work in high-stakes personal injury lawsuits.
Caroline Dozier has been appointed by Governor Greg Abbott to the 228th Judicial District Court in Harris County for a term set to expire on Dec. 31, 2026. Dozier, who is bureau chief of the Misdemeanor Trial Bureau for the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, has served as an assistant district attorney for over 30 years.
Robert “Bryan” Gantt has been reappointed by Governor Greg Abbott to the 471st Judicial District Court in Collin County for a term set to expire Dec. 31, 2026. Previously, he was a partner at McCraw Gantt and served as an assistant attorney general in the General Litigation Division at the Office of the Attorney General.
David J. Beck, founding partner of Beck Redden, has been named the recipient of the prestigious 2025 Leon Jaworski Award for Community Service by the Houston Bar Association Auxiliary. This distinguished honor recognizes attorneys who exemplify a lifetime commitment to civic engagement, public service, and professional excellence.
Katy Zendeh was promoted to of counsel in the bankruptcy and litigation practice groups at Caplin & Drysdale in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 1, 2025. Zendeh’s practice centers around complex commercial litigation, with an emphasis on bankruptcy litigation.
Hilda Galvan has retired from Jones Day after 28 years of service to seek new opportunities. She had served as the partner-in-charge of the Dallas office and was a partner in its Intellectual Property practice.
Craig Moore has been appointed as a criminal magistrate judge for Travis County, Texas. Moore, who previously served as an assistant district attorney, has broad experience practicing civil and criminal law. He is an adjunct faculty member at Texas Law.
Ewaen Woghiren has been elected partner at Jones Walker in Houston. A member of the firm’s Litigation Practice Group specializing in the energy, construction, maritime, retail, and real estate sectors, Woghiren has prosecuted and defended a diverse docket that includes construction defects, oil and gas lease disputes, business divorces, business torts by officers of companies, and products liability.
Elizabeth Romefelt has been promoted to partnership at Gibson Dunn, where she focuses on mergers and acquisitions, in New York City. Romefelt has a broad range of experience in M&A, from representing public and private companies to financial sponsors and handling other complex corporate transactions.
Edwin Flores has been appointed by Governor Greg Abbott to the Texas School Safety Center Board, which supports counties in developing defense systems. Flores is a managing partner at Chalker Flores, LLP, and also serves on the boards of Medical City Hospital Dallas and the Mary Crowley Cancer Research Center.
Terri Lynn Harris Motl passed away on Dec. 13, 2024. Motl was one of the first board-certified family law attorneys in San Angelo, Texas.
Versel (Wall) Rush was presented with the Kathy Amonett Award of Excellence at the October 2024 Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) statewide annual legal conference. Rush is a Child Protective Services lawyer and advocates for abused and neglected children.
Frances Blake is the new general counsel and vice president of regulatory affairs for the Texas Association of Builders. Previously, Blake served as bond counsel and general counsel to various local governmental entities, as well as an assistant United States attorney.
John L. Stavinoha III has been promoted to partner at Bracewell’s Houston office, effective Jan. 1, 2025. Stavinoha will work in the firm’s oil and gas practice.
Andrew W. Monk has been promoted to partner at Bracewell in Houston, effective Jan. 1, 2025. Monk will work in the firm’s corporate and securities practice.
W. Jared Berg has been promoted to partner at Bracewell in Houston, effective Jan. 1, 2025. Berg will work in the firm’s corporate and securities practice.
Joseph Bart Budetti passed away on Dec. 11, 2024. After starting his legal career in Florida including nine years as Broward County judge, Budetti was the senior assistant city attorney in Overland Park, Kansas, for 21 years.
Shannon Edmonds was named the executive director of the Texas District and County Attorneys Association (TDCAA) in Austin, effective Jan. 1, 2025. Edmonds has served as the director of governmental relations for the TDCAA, the largest statewide association of prosecutors in the nation.
Parth Gejji, an associate at Beck Redden in Houston, has been elected to the partnership effective Jan. 1, 2025. A double Longhorn, Gejji was included in the 2024 edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch for his work in appellate practice.
Nicholas Bruno, an associate at Beck Redden in Houston, has been elected to the partnership effective Jan. 1, 2025. As lead appellate counsel, Bruno practices in all levels of the Texas appellate system.
Jeri Stone passed away Nov. 26, 2024. Stone worked as a writer, attorney, and lobbyist with the Texas Classroom Teachers Association for over four decades and served as executive director from 1985 – 2022.
John “Buck” Ritts passed away Nov. 23, 2024. Prior to spending 25 years as an assistant attorney general for the Texas Attorney General’s Office, Ritts was assistant county attorney for Travis County. He also worked with the Water Rights Commission, private law firms, and the Independent Cattlemen’s Association.
Robert “Bob” Barnes Thornton passed away Nov. 22, 2024. Thornton co-founded the firm Thornton & Summers in San Antonio, which later became Thornton, Biechlin, Reynolds and Guerra with additional offices in Houston, Austin, Corpus Christi and McAllen.
Clyde Wesley (Wes) Clements passed away Dec. 9, 1941. A member of the Texas Bar Association, Clements practiced criminal law in Houston until 2022.
George Walter Rockwell passed away Nov. 29, 2024. Following law school graduation, Rockwell moved to Houston, where he practiced corporate law for 56 years.
Judge Ogden Bass passed away Nov. 23, 2024. Judge Bass served as Brazoria County District Attorney for four terms and also served three terms as a judge in the 300th District.
Patricia Rigney has been appointed to the Business Advisory Council to the Texas Division of Emergency Management. Rigney is owner of Rigney Law Firm and is currently the city attorney for the City of Mission.
Todd Hartis has been promoted to counsel at Vinson & Elkins’ Houston office. Hartis focuses his practice on corporate and securities transactions and has been named to Best Lawyers in America’s Ones to Watch list since 2023.
Zach Rider has been promoted to partner at Vinson & Elkins’ Houston office. Rider advises clients on a range of financing transactions and was named to Best Lawyers in America’s 2025 Ones to Watch list for banking and finance law.
Jeremy Reichman has been promoted to partner at Vinson & Elkins’ Dallas office. Reichman is a commercial litigator with a focus on professional liability matters.
Brooke Rollins has been selected by president-elect Donald Trump as the agriculture secretary and member of White House Task Force on Artificial Intelligence Education. Rollins is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute and previously served as director of the Domestic Policy Council and assistant to the president for strategic initiatives.
Liam Corriston has joined Weil, Gotshal & Manges as an associate in the firm’s Dallas office. Corriston previously served as a judicial intern at the U.S. District Court.
Mack Ray Hernandez passed away in late August of 2024 after more than 20 years of battling metastatic breast cancer. A double Longhorn, he had his own practice—the Hernandez Law Firm in Austin—where he specialized in wills, probate, and real estate.
Daniel Sternthal, shareholder at Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr in Houston, has been elected as the newest member of the firm’s board of directors. Sternthal is a recognized authority on regulatory, business and policy issues related to health care, serving as strategic counsel to a diverse range of health care entities.
David Coligado, CEO-elect at Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, is featured in D CEO Magazine’s 2025 edition of the Dallas 500 directory, The Dallas 500 publication profiles the most powerful leaders in North Texas across more than 60 different business categories; this is Coligado’s first year of inclusion in the Dallas 500.
Mary Kipp was named to the transition team for Washington’s governor-elect Bob Ferguson as an advisor. Kipp serves as president and CEO of Puget Sound Energy since 2020 and previously was CEO of El Paso Electric.
Bert Massey passed away Nov. 13, 2024. Massey served as mayor of Brownwood, Texas, for 26 years and previously was a partner in the law firm of Massey, Shaw, and West.